Hello New Jersey

Okay, okay! Finally, something about the house! Thank you for your patience. It took me an unheard of amount of time to find the time to write this post. 

Anyways...

Dan and I have always talked about home ownership but usually always in the context that it would never happen for us unless we moved outside of the city. We always wondered how people our age, friends even, were able to afford homes in Brooklyn because the prices are ridiculous. Even though we are smart with our money, have had periods of being debt free, and had substantial savings we knew we would never be able to purchase a home in Bay Ridge (look on Zillow for price reference - it feels like you have to be a millionaire). We made the choice to live in the city and apartment living was the trade off. It didn't mean we didn't dream or even go look at open houses; but we didn't want to leave Bay Ridge and we didn't want to spend money on something we didn't want simply because it's what we could afford. I wasn't interested in purchasing an apartment, I didn't want a house that needed substantial work, and we didn't want to spend every dime we had for something the same size as what we were renting. So, renters we remained and we found plenty of ways to be content in our apartment and we were happy.

Enter 2020.

There is no question, life amid a pandemic is hard. For everyone. It's not about who had/has it worse. We've all had to alter nearly every aspect of our lives if not change them altogether for good. That said, living in a small apartment in the first epicenter in the States was absolutely terrifying. Being pregnant simultaneously was something I do not intend to repeat. The circumstances took me to a very dark place that I'm not sure I will ever fully recover from mentally. We soon realized that everything we loved about living in the city would not be returning anytime soon. But there were still too many unknowns to even consider leaving. Dan and I both still had our jobs, gratefully. We still hoped to send Kip to school in the fall. We expected things to get better and our city to return to normal.

Enter Ivy.

Our two bedroom apartment was perfect for a family of three. We expected it to feel tight with another addition but we worked hard to rearrange things and consolidate stuff and maximize a tiny space to welcome a baby. But what we didn't plan for was trying to accommodate working from home + a toddler + a newborn in only two rooms. Fear of being outside with the virus still spreading and the intolerable heat of the summer complicated matters even more. We all felt trapped. I had no idea when/if I would be returning to regular office work and the idea of working from home full-time with no separation from the kids felt impossible. Where would I work? Where would Ivy sleep? My mental health was tanking the most in that difficult initial postpartum period. 

The first week of June, just before both Dan and Mandy returned to working "in-person," Mandy suggested we go on a day trip to New Jersey to visit a nice park by the water and escape the apartment for a bit. We got dressed up in coordinating outfits I purchased during quarantine and we took a family photo. 

Mandy took Kip to a small beach at the park and Dan and I sat on the picnic blanket and daydreamed about living in one of the townhouses that backed-up to the park. We had conversations like that often, daydreams about homes and bigger spaces. Those conversations were always just talk. But on the drive back to Brooklyn Mandy looked up the price of the homes on a whim...just to see. 

Shockingly they were within our price range and even more shocking one was just put on the market. 

Dan agreed to see if we could qualify for a mortgage and reached out to the realtor. At this point, I just wanted to see the inside of the house for something to do and had no expectations of it going any farther. That's how this whole thing worked. We'd take a step forward expecting a road block but the doors kept opening. We all agreed if things progressed than it was meant to be, if they didn't we would move on.

We got approved for a loan. We got a viewing of the house immediately. It wasn't perfect but it was move-in ready and just right for us. Three bedrooms, 4 bathrooms and a full basement "apartment" for Mandy. We put in an offer. The sellers countered with something fair and in range. We accepted. They accepted. Dan got the paperwork rolling. Mandy and I went crazy with stars in our eyes and hopefulness of being about to change our circumstances. Closing was set for the end of July and we all sat in total shock that things could possibly work out. 

It was a stressful summer. Dan handled the business-end of everything. Making all the calls and scheduling everything while still working and trying to keep me sane. He is the true hero of this story. Mandy and I kept the kids fed and entertained and started the packing. The apartment got even smaller as we filled it with boxes.

There were delays with the closing. Paperwork snafus. Communication issues with the sellers. We worried it would all fall through. As the end of July passed and one closing date changed after the other, I lost a bit of hope and began feeling even more desperate in our tiny apartment. Newborn sleep turned sour. The summer heat never ended. Maternity leave was nearly over. Pandemic life just kept getting more and more constricting. The future loomed darkly and the house seemed like the only lifeline. 

And then everything snowballed. 

On August 12th Dan and I went to New Jersey and closed on the house in possibly the biggest decision and yet most anticlimactic event of our lives. With Covid restrictions there was no fanfare. We signed a bunch of papers as quickly as possible with as little contact with as few people as possible (one lawyer, one closing agent). That was it.

We were suddenly homeowners!

Three days later the movers arrived and started packing up the apartment. By that afternoon we were in our new home and in total disbelief. 

That following Monday my maternity leave ended and I was "back" at work. Remotely for the foreseeable future but so incredibly grateful and happy to be in a house with space and access to the outdoors.

 

This post is definitely the short version of the story with a lot of tiny details missing but ultimately it was fast, unexpected, and WILD. But throughout the whole process we know God was involved and orchestrating every step. There is no other way it would have worked out the way that it did. We are excited and hopeful and above all, grateful. 

 

For the last month and a half we've spent every free moment unpacking, organizing, building furniture, fixing a few things, and settling-in. We miss the city but this feels like home and we love it. We all do.

Now that's the background...look forward to house tour posts soon!